Statement on the benefits of fish/seafood consumption compared to the risks of methylmercury in fish/seafood

Summary

This EFSA Scientific Committee statement weighs the cardiovascular and neurodevelopmental benefits of fish consumption against the risks of methylmercury exposure across the European population. It builds on EFSA's 2012 opinion which set the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for methylmercury at 1.3 µg/kg body weight — meaning a 70 kg adult can safely consume about 91 µg/week. The 2015 statement identifies the dominant European mercury sources by species: tuna (the largest single contributor in adult diets), swordfish, cod, whiting, and pike. Notably, sardines are not on this high-mercury list. The statement acknowledges new epidemiological data (Seychelles cohort) showing that the long-chain omega-3s from fish may counteract some methylmercury toxicity — a benefit-risk tradeoff that favors lower-mercury species like sardines. EFSA's conclusion is risk-tiered: vulnerable groups (pregnant women, children, high-fish consumers up to 6× TWI) should choose lower-mercury species; the general adult population can consume fish at moderate intake without exceeding the TWI.